HMRC Consults Public Over Its Powers

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

04 April 2006

The UK's HMRC is asking individuals and businesses to contribute to a review of powers, deterrents and safeguards aimed at ensuring that they are fair, efficient and make it easy for people to meet their obligations and claim their entitlements.

In particular, says HMRC, the aim is to strike a balance between having simple, accessible systems which help the vast majority who want to understand and comply with their responsibilities, and having sufficient powers to tackle those who are deliberately non-compliant.

The Paymaster General, Dawn Primarolo said:

"This is a unique opportunity to develop a framework of powers, deterrents and safeguards that meets the needs of our taxpayers and allows HM Revenue & Customs to carry out its wide range of responsibilities fairly and efficiently. We know from our discussions to date that people believe strongly that life should be made easier for the compliant and harder for the non-compliant.

"The consultation document sets out our emerging thoughts on what powers we think are necessary to properly fulfil our
responsibilities, and how this fits with wider work to modernise tax administration. It includes a number of options which we think will benefit those who seek to comply while reducing the unfair advantage gained by those who don't.

"We welcome all views on the proposals outlined in the document, as well as any additional suggestions on how we can support our customers and improve deterrent to non-compliance."

The document includes a summary of responses to the first stage of the public consultation, launched in March 2005, which has informed the findings published today.

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